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Sunday, September 04, 2005

Exam Time....

As usual, the study time was well planned and under execution.. My son started feeling the pressure to wrap up everything, since he was expected to deliver something better than before.

However, whatever he thought, came out soon over the weekend.. thru this conversation with my wife. [the pressure cooker relieved the pressure]

S: 'I envy you very much, Mom!!'

W: 'why, A.....?'

S: 'You are not studying anything now. You are always resting at home.... I love to be like that'

W: 'But I was also studying at my young age. Isn't it? You know something, I used to work hard and never told like this to my Mom'. (chumma... reelu.. Later, she acknowledged to me that she too envied her Mom at that time!!!!)


S: 'That's OK. But now, you are sitting at home as housewife. I need to go to work you know...'

W: 'Don't say like it, A.... See, your Dad does both working & learning. Your uncle (Chithappa) is going to University and will work later... What is the big deal? Everybody does it. We ladies are also not idle. We give birth to kids and does the home building and lot more, you know'

S: 'That's what I don't want to do. Even at this age, Grandpa is working and Grandma is resting at home. I wish, I should have born as a girl...' (he didn't leave his Grandma too..)

W: 'But nowadays girls are also studying a lot and working, you know...'



S: 'Yeah.. I know. But you still have options, right... You can work if you want. If you don't want you can rest at home, isn't it?'

Just few seconds gap, without an answer... after that, she finally got a convincing reply to end this dialogue.

W: 'What about your teacher Anitha madam, A..... She takes care of her family and takes care of you students, as well. Like her, there are so many female teachers working hard and taking care of their family. Isn't it? So, don't compare anymore like this.. Com'n,carry on with your work...'

She felt relieved when he accepted this reference to his teacher.. and carried on with his work.

I was just wondering, as to why I never even thought about it when I was under pressure to perform at my young age. Were we too naive in those days? Or are they acting too smart, due to more exposure to the media? Possible, isn't it?

Posts inspired by my son
Sense of achievement
My own castle
Work place from a Kid's view
179th post

9 Comments:

Blogger Raju said...

Ram, that was a good conversation.. BTW, how old is ur son?

Pressure in childhood was always there.. somehow I never asked or thought about such questions.. never thought I had an option or choice.. Always it was "Study, u will become something.. or else.. it is hard". I had my younger brother as an example.. more play-type.. so, his marks and hence ranks were always less than what I got his age.. So, he was a 24-hour example for me.. (he is not THAT bad.. all in relative sense).

Sunday, September 04, 2005 7:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I was young, I used to feel like that ...especially when I was in my 10th , I remember having an argument with my uncle, who was at that time looking for a job...and my father got irritated and said...if u want, u can stop studying and then get married soon. Of course the threat of marriage made me change my mind and continue with my studies...

Sunday, September 04, 2005 10:42:00 PM  
Blogger Visithra said...

I tell ya kids nowadays are too smart! ;p

Sunday, September 04, 2005 11:27:00 PM  
Blogger Woodooz said...

Ram, a fitting post on Teacher's day ! Was it just incidental that u posted this today ?

Sunday, September 04, 2005 11:33:00 PM  
Blogger Ram C said...

GP.. that sort of pressure and comparisons will be there always if more kids are there in a family, as in your case (even in my childhood, I faced that situn)

Kavitha.. Threat of marriage Vs continuation of studies..LOL.

Visithra.. agreed.

Somu.. it is a mere coincidence.

Monday, September 05, 2005 1:02:00 AM  
Blogger Chakra said...

Ram, thats a good post.

When we used to see our female colleagues getting married to US grooms, we used to say "pesaama ponna porandhirukalaam da... interview attend pannama, consultant kitta thongaama US poidalaam"..this conversation reminds me of that. :)

Monday, September 05, 2005 1:07:00 AM  
Blogger TJ said...

One of my engineering classmates, had her Resume and Horoscope placed in swami room, and when pulled out, horoscpoe came. She got married in abt 6 months and lives happily ever after, unlike we guys...blah blah blah [the same old cribbing..]

Monday, September 05, 2005 3:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ram,

Nice post. This reminds me of my dad's saying when i compared myself with my elder sister! He said, 'One can make his daugher Mrs.Collector..But, one can't make his son Mr.Collector unless the son does on his own'. But, this doesn't apply for political profession ;))

Monday, September 05, 2005 9:10:00 AM  
Blogger Ram C said...

Chakra.. that's the hilarious fact most of the time.

TJ.. LOL. But on the serious note, I may raise a question as to why an Engg college seat is not utilised properly. For being a housewife, definitely homescience would be better, isn't it? Anyhow, now there is no scarcity for Engg. college seats.. so the issue of 'wasting' may not come up most of the time.

VJ.. Some kids are too smart, even without the exposure to the media. I agree. On your second comment, I believe it depends on the easiness / fearlessness with which the kids move with their parents.

Sundaresan.. LOL. Good one from your DAD.

Monday, September 05, 2005 2:23:00 PM  

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